How many seconds in eternity?
by PozzyP
Summary: Corrin must choose. But choosing either Hoshido or Nohr will lead to families broken on both sides, a fact he knows all too well. But still he must choose. On the brink of collapse and with no way out a voice calls out to him, offering him the chance to prepare for the inevitable."How many seconds in eternity, Corrin?"


"We are your family, Corrin. Come home."

"Don't be foolish, Corrin. Stand and fight alongside us."

"Brother…please."

"Big brother don't do this!"

"I…I…" I clutched my head in despair, looking one and then the other. Two armies as far as the eye could see barely a hairsbreadth away from war. Spears sharpened, bowstrings taught. It was all down to me. But there was nothing I could do. Whoever I picked would enrage the other and cause bloodshed either way. There was no stopping this; why did it have to be so?

On one side was my family or at least the one I'd been brought up with. My older brother, Xander, offering his hand out, a sign of goodwill. Leo, my younger brother, looking steadily on from the side-lines. Camilla, my sister, trembling…imploring me only with her eyes to join their side. My younger sister Elise insisting I come with them. I try to block her out. The decision is hard enough without having to fight her eyes, trying (and nearly failing) to hold back tears. I looked to the other.

My family…my real family of the Hoshido dynasty. The same as Xander, Ryoma, holds out his hand for me to take. I…I can take neither. My sisters Sakura and Hinoka are also watching, anticipating my decision (Hinoka doing a better job of masking her dread than Sakura). My other brother, Takumi, grips his bow tightly, so tight I fear it may snap in two. This…this isn't how it should be. Sometimes the only decisions we have are bad ones…but we still have to make them.

"I'm…so sorry everyone. I feel like I have no choice but to…" I closed my eyes. Breaths held on both sides. It was true…I did have no choice. But which one was better? Or worse? There was no way I could save everyone or stop the greatest bloodshed our people had ever known from happening. "I…" I stopped. Something was wrong. The cold chill of the wind had ceased, no longer biting into the bare skin of my unclothed feet. I opened my eyes. Everyone was still holding their breath…but it was wrong. They weren't breathing at all, I realised.

They had simply…stopped. No click, no puff of smoke, they were just frozen in place. Ryoma…his look of determination rooted in place, scowling at the Nohr family royality. Camilla, still pleading for me to choose. Tentatively, I took a step forward. Then another. And another. The cool of the grass beneath me feet confirmed I could still move freely. But the armies of Hoshido and Nohr were both still frozen, seconds away from war. It was too much for me. I collapsed to the floor, half expecting everyone to unfreeze and laugh at me. But this was no laughing matter and they all remained frozen.

 _I will not cry. I will not cry. I'm…I'm stronger than that._ Who was I kidding? When the first of the tears rolled down my cheeks I wasn't in the least surprised. In fact I welcomed them. If they were to unfreeze now they would see me for who I truly am. A failure. A pathetic snivelling wreck whose only job it was, was to bring pain to the lives of others. It wasn't fair.

It is one thing having to make a life changing decision but another for it to be dragged out over a lifetime…even harder for one you know will only bring suffering. I hit my fist into the ground. And again, and a third time in the hope I could shatter the spell like glass and return everything to normal. It didn't. It wasn't fair.

"I…what is this? I can't do this. What has happened to them? Has my indecision itself cursed our land to remain fixated here for all eternity?" I turned my head to the sky and screamed, not caring if anyone could hear me or not. "I can't do this! Not now and not for all eternity either! Do you hear me?! I can't choose! Either way people will die, people I care about and people that other people care about! What kind of a choice is that to make? Why…why, why, why…?! WHY?!" When there was no reply I struck my fist into the ground a fourth and final time before curling up into a ball on the ground. Even without the wind it was still cold outside.

 **"How many seconds in eternity, Corrin?"** I opened my eyes, uncurling myself. There was no one there. I looked to both Xander and Ryoma but they too were still. **"I have heard your pleas, Corrin, and I'm sorry."** I sprang up, wiping away what tears I could with the back of my hand.

"Show yourself!" I demanded. "Release them at once. You have no right to…"

 **"To what?"** The voice asked, seemingly coming from all around me…from the ground and air itself. **"Allow them to kill each other? You said it yourself. No matter what side you pick there will be bloodshed. But…I can offer you another way.**

"Why should I trust you? The dragons of old are the only ones with power great enough to accomplish feats such as this." I said, gesturing to frozen battlefield. "It is unwise to trust such beasts."

 **"You're more correct then I would like, Corrin, but let us be thankful that I am no dragon."**

"Then…who are you with such power? And why do you come now?"

" **I am just a traveller…a watcher if you like of all dimensions. I have heard your pain, Corrin, and it touches me you care so much for them no matter which side they come from. I also agree that it is grossly unjust for you to have to make a decision so soon."**

"What do you mean?"

 **"Make no mistake, Corrin…I do not offer escape nor truth but a choice. I can give you more time to train yourself before the inevitable strikes."**

"Y-you…can help me control my abilities."

 **"In time you will learn to control them yourself. That is what I am offering you. Nothing more, nothing less. Just another choice."**

"Then I take that choice," I said, with renewed determination. I am no good to the people of this world as I am. Take me." At first there was nothing…and for a scary moment I thought it was just my pain addled mind that had invented the scenario but then a dark schism rocketed across the sky, sucking me into it. I turned to rapidly shrinking world below, now seeing how small the armies really were in comparison to everything else. "Goodbye for now, my friends. I will return…I promise."

The portal closed, leaving me suspended in the ether. There was no ground beneath me and yet I was somehow not afraid. The voice…it was commanding yet sympathetic. I could trust it. From out of the ether came a hand, giant in proportion and gloved in nature.

 **"Welcome, Corrin."** Though no mouth had moved I instantly knew it was the hand who had spoken. The same trust and confidence oozed out of it, calming my nerves.

"Who…who are you? Where am I?"

 **"My name…is Master Hand. And this…"** he said gesturing to the vast swirling of the ether around us. **"…is Smash. We are currently situated in Final Destination, the gateway between this world and all others."**

"Smash? Other worlds?" My head was starting to spin from the scale of it all. Luckily the hand h=was there to reassure me.

 **"Easy, Corrin. Your world is but one of many. Observe."** He snapped his fingers and out of a second portal came…me. But something was different?"

"I'm a girl/boy?!" We both yelled at exactly the same time. It was true. The girl hovering before me was an exact copy in every way. Except her hair was longer…legs slightly shorter…and breasts…I stopped myself there. It was already weird enough. "Explain, Master Hand!"

 **"She's you, Corrin,"** he said to me.

 **"He's you, Corrin,"** he said to her. We both looked at each other staring deep into our crimson eyes.

"I don't understand," we both said.

 **"You are both Corrin,"** he explained. **"Both born to the Hoshido royal family but taken and raised in the Nohr. You have the same experiences, memories and for the most part personality. You are one and the same. The only thing that differs is your genders."**

"That's so…"

"…strange," I finished. She gave me an odd look (as would anyone if you were to finish their sentence for them).

 **"But anyway…"** The hand went on. **"I've brought you both here because I want to help you. Your case is a special one and I am willing to help you."**

"But why both of us? Why are there two versions of me? No offence," I said.

"None taken," the female returned, smiling lightly.

 **"Because you are both equally deserving and…joining Smash for the first time can be a bit daunting. With both of you here you don't have to do it alone. You can train together, fight together, learn together, and become friends together. It worked for Robin."**

"Who?" The hand snapped his fingers and a pool of water faded into view. On its surface played out a moving picture of two people, one male and one female firing off magical attacks."

"I don't recognise them," I admitted. The female Corrin agreed, nodding slightly.

 **"Perhaps not yet but one day their story will become the stuff of legend just as yours will. Their situation was similar to how yours is now. But the circumstances are so I feel like you could use some extra time before the inevitable."** I exchanged looks with my counterpart. We were going to become historical icons? I wasn't sure that was something I wanted. I could see the other Corrin was having doubts to so I grasped her hand lightly, giving it a squeeze. She flushed slightly but squeezed back, glad of the support.

"But you keep mentioning 'Smash'", the female Corrin began. "…but what is it exactly? How are we to become better fighters?" Master Hand simply snapped his fingers again and in front of us the surface of the pond rippled again. A scene of another fight taking place started to show this time with people I could've sworn I recognised. But it couldn't be.

"Is that…" I looked closer. One of the figures had cobalt blue hair with a tiara up top and was wielding a blade I had only seen in ancient scrolls. The man himself I had only seen once in a drawing but his identity was clear.

"The mythical Hero King?!" We both exclaimed, coming to the same conclusion. "But I thought he was just a fairy tale. A story of the triumph of a usurped prince over evil."

"And the other…that cannot be…" We exchanged glances, scarcely believing it. "The Radiant Hero of Blue Flames?! He exists too?!"

 **"Not only that but you will train alongside and against them. This is what I offer you."**

"I…we…" I looked from my doppelganger to the floating hand and back again. "Why would you do this for us? What can we possibly offer you in return?" The hand came as close to shaking his head as he was physically capable of.

 **"You do not need to provide me with anything, only the knowledge that you will use this time to the best of your abilities to save your kingdoms."**

"But…why?"

 **"When you have seen as much suffering as I have then you learn to savour the victories that are few and far between. I have the power to travel between worlds and watch over them from afar. Your stories were ones I couldn't bear to see end like so many others. When you have the power to help others…it is only right that you do. Do you understand what I am saying?"**

We nodded silently. It was a lot to take in but I knew, together, we would make the time we had worthwhile. We would save our friends and family. We would put an end to the fighting and most of all we would honour Master Hand's generous offer.

"Thank you, Master Hand, for granting us this great opportunity. We will not fail you."

 **"Good. Then let's begin."**

* * *

 **A/N: Just a brief idea I had when watching the direct. I felt the scene on the battlefield was nice but wanted to expand it properly, showing the real reasons Corrin chose to fight in Smash. Let me know in a review if you enjoyed it!**


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